The Queen's Knight
by Ormiss
Summary: [Path of Radiance] [Ike & Elincia] With peace comes joy, and renewal, but with the absence of conflict, those who have grown accustomed to war must now grow confident in their new roles. Sometimes, all that is needed is a little encouragement.


I just finished Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance today, and I was a bit disappointed with the final conversation between Ike and Elincia. This is what would have transpired, had I been writing the script.

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**The Queen's Knight**

Though opulently furnished with rich tapestries and bronzed ornaments, the throne room of the Crimean palace seemed narrow, and somewhat cramped in the dim light. The midday sun spilled in through the covered windows, and rendered the room in a pale, gray hue.

Elincia sat upon the throne, hands clasped in her lap, and gazed at the floor in front of her feet. She seemed slight, and distant, and somehow vulnerable.

Crossing the room with hesitant steps, Ike approached the newly crowned queen. "What's the matter?" he asked.

Elincia raised her head to meet his eyes, and gasped for breath. "Ike… I…"

"Is something wrong?" Ike wondered. Frowning worriedly, he searched her features for a sign of illness, of injury, or anything that might have befallen her. ((_Don't tell me she's ill!_)) he thought frantically.

"N-no, nothing… nothing of importance," Elincia breathed. "But… to tell the truth, I do not feel ready. I do not feel ready to be queen," she said timidly. She lowered her head, and gripped the fabric of her dress with her slender hands.

((_That's all?_)) he wondered. Ike shook his head. "Well, who is? You'll grow into it," he said.

"No, you do not understand… I do not believe I shall ever be ready," she whispered.

"What?" Ike said. ((_That's ridiculous,_)) he thought. He hesitated for a few moments, searching for the words to encourage her. Failing to take it seriously, he burst into laughter.

"I-Ike…?" Elincia gasped. "Why are you laughing?" she asked, and her face held a miserable expression as she looked up at him.

Smirking, Ike leaned his palm against the arm of the throne. "Well, I'll humor you. So why do you think you'll never be ready?"

"Well… I have spent my _whole life_ in hiding. No one has taught me anything about ruling a nation; how to fulfill the duties of a queen," she explained.

"Alright, let's cut the nonsense for a moment, huh?" Ike said. Ignoring the surprised look on her face, he continued. "This whole thing is ridiculous. This year, you've done a lot of things you weren't taught how to do. You've hired and traveled with a mercenary company across the continent. Did anyone teach you how to do that?"

"No, but that is different," she protested.

"Is it really?" Ike wondered. "You've dealt with the King of Lions, the Goddess' Apostle, and half a dozen others who used to stand against us. You've turned them around. You. Did they teach you how to do that?"

"No, but…"

"Enough," Ike said, shaking his head. He placed his hand over hers, and a slight smile formed on her lips. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't… uh… " ((_I wouldn't be the man I am today. Damn, I can't say it; it's too embarrassing!_)) he realized. Flushing, he turned his head from her eyes, and withdrew his hand.

Elincia reached out to grab his wrist, and stroked it gently. "My Lord Ike… you were saying…?" The smile on her face was intent, filled with mischievous curiosity.

Ike cleared his throat and grimaced. "N-nothing. I just… Y-you really helped me. That's what I meant to say."

"Truly?" Elincia wondered, beaming.

Ike's veins flooded with warmth, and he stared at her, unable to speak. ((_Damn, how could I resist that smile? More than anything, I've come this far just to see it,_)) he thought.

"I believe you said 'I would not…?' I should remind you, Ike, that 'you helped me' hardly qualifies to complete that sentence," Elincia teased.

"T-that's because—"

The smile on her face broadened, and without warning, she burst into sparkling, joyous laughter.

Unable to defend against it, Ike melted. His mind clouded with desire, and he leaned down to grasp her. She gasped as he put his arms around her slender waist, but did not resist as he lifted her from the throne and off of her feet in one swift motion. He pressed his lips against hers and tasted her hungrily, kissing, nuzzling, and caressing her lips as he lost his wits, forcing his tongue into her mouth. He held her close, and dragged his hands against the soft fabric of her dress to feel her slim back and shoulders beneath. His heart blazed, burning away all sensations other than her scent and the feel of her skin against his, and he struggled to breathe, to regain his balance. Even so, he wished for nothing more than to fall, to drown in her.

Somehow, his sanity returned, and he released her gently onto the ground. "I-I'm sorry, Princess Elicia, I'm… I don't know what came over me, I'm truly sorry," he lied. ((_Goddess, what have I done?_)) he wondered. He stared at her as she struggled to catch her breath, and steadied her cautiously as she faltered with dizziness. ((_Well, whatever it was, it was damn well worth it. She's so beautiful…_)) he mused.

"N-no," Elincia said, clearing her throat. "It was my fault, My Lord Ike," she insisted.

"Uh…" Ike exclaimed. ((_No, it was not,_)) he added in his mind.

Elincia stumbled over the words. "Clearly I… well… that is… to say… I…" she tried.

"Please, stop," Ike said. "It's… painful to hear."

Elincia blinked, and then giggled. Ike's blood pumped, but he managed to contain his desire.

"Did someone teach you how to do that?" she wondered.

"No. So… that's an argument for natural talent, right?" he joked.

Clasping her hands over her chest, Elincia smiled, and nodded.

((_Huh, she doesn't seem to mind it so much. Doesn't she care?_)) he wondered. "I'm a selfish man," Ike admitted.

"Why is that?" Elincia wondered, regaining a solemn composure.

"You've impressed me at every turn of his journey," he said. "You inspired the soldiers, you united the nations, and the people of Tellius in Crimea's name… Beorc, laguz, you have made us one. You took up the sword, and fought by my side, which I never thought you would do… And you applied yourself, you took it seriously, and trained _so hard_ not to become a burden. Tanith has told me what a good student you were, and I've seen first hand how skilled you have become. You stood up against Ashnard, as a true champion of Crimea, and you deflected his blows… You were invaluable in the final battle. I admire you more than anyone, and so I _know _that you will make the best of queens, regardless of who taught you what… Due to that, I am a selfish man, because I had to steal your first kiss."

Elincia had listened in silence, but a smile had grown on her lips, and her eyes glittered with emotion. When she spoke, she whispered. "And why exactly, is that?" she asked. She clasped his hand in hers, and stared into his eyes.

"B-because…" he said, "Do you have to make me say it?" he complained feebly. Sighing, he drew a deep breath. "Well… Because I love you," he blurted out, and immediately flushed with embarrassment.

Elincia closed her eyes and smiled contentedly. "Well, My Lord Ike… I gladly give my first kiss to you, and I am suitably smug about having stolen yours, in turn. Do you know why…?" she asked.

"N-no…?" Ike said. His heart beat swifter, now.

"Oh, you should realize. You are playing dumb, are you not? It is because I love you, Ike," Elincia said, blushing beautifully.

A warm sensation of elation and satisfaction rushed through Ike's entire body, and he grinned sheepishly at her. "W-what are you saying…?" he stammered.

"I think I made myself quite clear, Ike," Elincia said happily.

Too stunned to speak, Ike struggled for words, but found himself grinning stupidly. ((_I should be saying something… I should be doing something significant, something romantic…_)) he realized.

"Ike?" Elincia mumbled.

"Y-yes?" Ike said.

Spreading the hem of her dress, Elincia kneeled before him, and held his hand.

"What are you doing? I told you; I don't like it when you bow!" Ike protested.

Elincia giggled, and shook her head. "No, I really should be kneeling for this," she said.

"For what?" Ike wondered.

Drawing a deep breath, Elincia caressed his hand, and cleared her throat. "Ike… You are my knight, my shield, and… I would like to have your as my husband, as well," she confessed.

Ike panicked. "What!"

Elincia looked surprised. "Y-you don't want me?" she whispered.

Ike fell to his knees, bowing his head. He grabbed her arms, and pushed her onto her feet. "Stand! Goddess' sake, you're a woman! If father saw what a pitiful man I've become, he'd give me a sound thrashing! Please, think about what you're doing!" he blurted out, stumbling over the words.

Elincia looked both amused and confused. "Ike, does it matter? I thought that you would be too shy to—"

"It does matter!" he said hotly. Kneeling, he took her hand, and breathed deeply to calm himself. "Alright. It's rude not to respond. So, let's see…" he whispered. "Um, Elincia?" he fumbled.

"Yes, Ike?" she said. Looking down on him, she beamed with enjoyment, taking great pleasure in his bumbling attempt at proposing. Even so, her eyes were brimming with emotion.

Ike took one last deep breath, and composed himself. Looking up at her, he smiled calmly, and tried not to lose himself in her eyes. "Queen Elincia… I… You really shouldn't be marrying me, because I'm definitely not worthy of you, and I'm just a common mercenary, while you're a queen, but… uh… Well, I don't see why you'd want to be with me. But even so—"

Elincia laughed. "This is pathetic, Ike. I already said I love you; I already proposed. Grow a spine!" she told him.

Flushing with embarrassment, Ike grimaced. ((_Damn, we've really rubbed off on her, haven't we?_)) he thought. "W-will you marry me, Elincia?" he breathed.

Kneeling, Elincia grasped his hands and smiled. "Yes," she said, and immediately leaned in to plant a chaste kiss on his lips.

The loving, innocent look that she gave him was almost too much. Resisting the urge to steal more than a kiss from her, Ike placed his hands on her shoulders, and savored the moment. Then it hit him. "Wait! I've forgotten! You need a ring!" he exclaimed.

"I do not need a ring, Ike. All I need is you—"

"No, you need a ring!" he said. Feeling about his pockets in vain desperation, he found nothing. Then he realized that he was still wearing the Knight's Ring, and pulled it from his finger. He held it out to Elincia, and swallowed. "This is called the Knight's Ring; Reyson gave it to me. It's the only one I have… uh… there should be someone who can make a ring among the merchants, I think. Yes, definitely, there should be—"

"This is fine," Elincia said. "The Knight's Ring… I think it is a fitting gift from a queen's knight." She held out her finger, and he steadied his hand to slide it onto her.

Without a word, he put his arms around her back and drew her close. They embraced, and he breathed in the scent of her hair, feeling her heartbeat against his chest. ((_I can't decide whether I like her hair better when it's arranged, or when it's let down…_)) he mused happily. More satisfied, more pleased than ever, Ike drew strength from Elincia's nearness and thought about all that had happened over the last year, the battles they had fought, and the lessons they had learned. The memories were bitter, and difficult to face, but her warm embrace gave rise to a feeling of resolution, of contentment.

Some time passed before they parted, and stood. "Well…" Ike said, taking her hand. "We should greet the people."

"Yes," his fiancé said. She squeezed his hand with her warm, soft fingers as they walked towards the light.

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**Author's Notes:** Yes, I know that was sappy. If you read this far, you probably didn't mind _too_ much. Actually, I tried to keep a reasonable balance between romance and realism, and make it seem believable. Did I succeed? Did I fail? Feel free to review, and let me know!

Elincia looks like a pretty weak character at first glance, but I actually maxed out almost all of her statistics (all except for luck and resistance,) and she performed excellently. Though its might is low, Amiti is an awesome weapon, netting her four attacks against basically any opponent. The bonuses to defense and resistance make her nearly impervious to damage. Still, even with Ragnell, she would have been too weak to truly challenge Ashnard.

When playing the game, I had originally planned to get A-level support with Lethe, but when I began to realize that Elincia was going to be a playable character, I started holding out for her. Actually, I said to myself that if she turns out to be a sword user instead of something lame like a healer or mage, I'll pick her over Lethe. Since the Pegasus Knight is my favorite Fire Emblem unit, it worked out quite well.


End file.
